Once upon a time in the Land of Lab, there was a Princess and two Princes working hard on their Graduate Student projects. One day, the King of the Lab called Princess Jane and Princes John and Robert into his Regal Office. “Tell me,” he said. “How goes the quest in the Lab?” “It goes slowly, sir,” they sighed. “Ah, it is as I thought,” said the King. “Would not a Contest of Skills focus the mind and enhance your activities? I propose that a new Quest begin today! Each of you shall leave my office forthwith and lose yourself…
The Science Creative Quarterly
By Sarah Covshoff
Sarah Covshoff graduated from the University of Guelph with a BSc in Agriculture and subsequently with a PhD in Plant Biology from Cornell University. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge. She wishes all current graduate students a fairy tale ending to their degrees.
THE WISHING WELL
Tales of Wonder from the Land of Lab: Fairy Tales and Bedtime Stories for Scientists – – – Once upon a time in a Lab far far away, Princess Jane was a second year graduate student trying to clone a gene from maize. It was a bold and difficult Task set by her Supervisor. Jane toiled day and night optimizing her reactions, but to no avail. The Task was incomplete and the deadline fast approaching. “If I don’t finish this part of the project soon, then my thesis will be incomplete,” she thought sadly. One evening, as Princess Jane was…